


The Mink Trap

by pocket_cheese



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Injury, Hypothermia, Illness, Injury, Introspection, Lost in the Woods, M/M, Minor Violence, Sickfic, animal traps, but no animals are trapped just aobae, goddamit aoba
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-03-10 11:34:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3288869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocket_cheese/pseuds/pocket_cheese
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Aoba gets lost (and seriously injured) in the forest, and Mink has to save the day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Panic

Pools of orange light dim and flicker across the warm, cocoa-coloured walls of the log cabin. In the fading light, the dark outline of a bent figure shifts restlessly on the sofa, causing the tan, beaten leather to creak slightly.

On closer inspection, the figure is that of a twenty-something year old man. Long, vivid blue hair falls over his shoulders, concealing the sides of his pale face as he hangs his head dejectedly.

Shifting again, the figure stares blankly between his feet. A sigh spills from his lips before he can supress it, and silence follows.

Aoba had become somewhat accustomed to supressing his emotions from living with Mink. He no longer wanted to display his feelings so openly, for it only gave Mink another reason to scorn him as weak - and he was determined not to be perceived as such.

Now, however, he could not contain it; and besides, Mink was not there.

Without Mink, the cold silence of the cabin felt almost intrusive, and the feeling was perpetuated by the fact that Aoba could easily hear the soft crackling of the fire’s dying embers, which in any other situation would be barely audible. The only other sound was the odd gust of wind, pushing through the forest and causing the trees’ branches to creak wearily, as if they were alive. At this thought, Aoba let out another sigh. Well, there were no other signs of life.

“Aoba.”

A deep, mechanical voice pulled him from his thoughts, and compelled him to look down at the tiny, fluffy blue dog standing in front of him.

“Are you okay?”

With a small smile, Aoba reached down and brought Ren up to rest against his chest. Ren was always concerned about him if he behaved even slightly out of the ordinary, and it was clear that he could read Aoba’s conflicted feelings right now as if he had a window into his mind.

“I’m fine, Ren. Sorry for worrying you.”

Immediately issuing his typical response, Aoba smiled more widely, patting Ren’s fur in reassurance. Unconvinced, Ren gazed into Aoba’s eyes until his smile cracked and his hand froze in the air.

Although he was accustomed to violence from living in Midorijima, most of the fighting took place in the Rhyme field. Police officers like Akushima were always on the prowl to break up any fights which might result in physical damage, and so the number of people injured owing to street fights was relatively low.

The situation in Cedarwood was different. Here, street brawls and bar fights occurred on a daily basis. Poverty and unemployment were rife in this district, and tensions between Cedarwood and the newly built neighbouring village were high. Knowing that they were despised as intruders, people from the neighbouring village often visited Cedarwood for their evening entertainment, i.e: provoking residents until a full on fight broke out.

Mink wasn’t the sort to initiate a fight with any old stranger, but recalling the time that they had spent together before he had arrived in Cedarwood, Aoba knew that Mink wasn’t very good at keeping his temper in the face of provocation.

Worst of all, all of the residents owned firearms, and many wouldn’t hesitate to use them. The thought of somebody drawing a gun on Mink made Aoba feel physically sick. Before he knew it, he found himself on his feet and vocalizing his concerns to the silent pressure of Ren’s gaze.

“I…I have to find him. He’s always back by now. He should have been back hours ago. What if something’s happened to him? What if he doesn’t come back?”

“Aoba. The temperature outside has declined, and it’s dark. It may be difficult for you to find him at this hour.”

As factually as ever, Ren listed the risks of going on a wild-goose chase in the middle of the night; but Aoba was beyond listening to logic. The sense of urgency building up in his chest was suffocating, and a panicked feeling of claustrophobia overtook him. He had to find Mink now.

Grabbing his bag and kneeling at the doormat, Aoba pulled on his jacket and boots before yanking the door open and running full force at the forest.

He ran until the icy air piercing his lungs became too much, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. As if the outdoor air had brought him back to his senses, he slowed down and almost came to a halt.

Directly before him, the black forest loomed imposingly. The night sky was starless, and he knew that once he was inside the forest, it would be impossible to see clearly relying on eyesight alone. He would have to use the light from his Coil. Balling his fists, he screwed his face in determination and set forwards at a greater pace.

There weren’t any other log cabins immediately around this area, the nearest being a twenty minute walk away in the village centre. As a result, there wasn’t a public path through the forest – only scattered trails showing greater wear than others from the tread of hunters.

Aoba swallowed nervously. If he kept walking forwards, he’d reach the village eventually…he hoped. Flicking on the light of his coil, he looked at Ren’s head poking out of his bag.

“Let’s go.”

In the darkness, Aoba felt as though his senses had been heightened by a thousand. Every little noise caused his flesh to jump, goosebumps springing over his skin as he looked around wildly. In reality, he knew that they were probably just small birds and animals. There wouldn’t be any hunters at this time, and there was no reason for anybody else to go in the direction of their cabin, apart from Mink.

Yet the sounds were nothing like Mink’s footsteps. Their sound had been imprinted in Aoba’s mind from waiting for him to come home each night.

So if it wasn’t Mink, large animals or hunters, why was he so jumpy?

He continued cautiously over the uneven ground, avoiding a large rock here and a fallen branch there. It seemed as though they’d been walking for a long time, but there was no sense of them nearing the edge of the forest. In fact, the trees seemed to be getting thicker.

“Ren – how are we doing?”Aoba asked tentatively, looking down at the bundle in his bag and stopping to take in their surroundings.

It was no use. Everywhere he looked; there were trees, trees and more trees. It was highly disorientating, and whilst they were making seemingly no progress, the cold and the darkness were growing. The icy wind bit into him even deeper from standing still.

“Aoba, I am unable to download a map of this area.” Ren said apologetically.

The words sounded so much like the worst-case scenario, that for a second, Aoba thought that he had imagined them.

“It usually takes no longer than 20 minutes to get to the village – and we’ve been walking way longer than that, right?”

Ren nodded, and the two looked into the depths of the forest silently.

They were lost.


	2. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba gets lost (and seriously injured) in the forest, and Mink has to save the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is quite introspective, but necessary for the action later (trust me). This work is my first fanfiction, yay :) I hope that you like it.

It was 6:54pm when Mink strolled over to the door and flipped the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’. Officially, the shop was supposed to shut at 7pm, but at this time, most people were making their way to one of the three village bars, if not already there and on their second drink.

There were very rarely customers after 6:30pm, so, Mink reasoned, closing up a few minutes early wasn’t going to make any difference to the number of guns sold that day.

Locking the cash register, he let his posture relax into a slump as he lit his pipe and inhaled deeply; watching with weary eyes as a swirl of smoke rose up towards the cracked paint on the ceiling.

Since leaving Japan, this had become his daily routine. He worked in the shop from 9 ‘til 7, Monday to Friday, with Saturdays reserved for gathering wood and craft materials in the forest. Sundays he had free to do whatever he pleased, so he usually spent them reading and making the said crafts, although that had changed slightly with Aoba’s arrival.

Now he sometimes found himself neglecting these tasks just to watch Aoba moving around the house: chatting to Ren, and singing as he busied himself with domestic chores.

His vibrancy was infectious.

Mink didn’t think he’d ever, in his life, seen somebody so happy whilst cleaning a toilet, but Aoba didn’t mind even the least favourable of tasks if it meant making the house nice for both of them.

Besides, he always did the cleaning back home in Japan (‘Ba-chan had bad knees), so Aoba felt that it was natural for him to do it here too. Mink was working most of the week, and he had to earn his keep somehow.

After closing the shop, Mink usually sat like this for a while, smoking and thinking before he eventually got to his feet and headed home.

Sometimes he’d go to the grocery store and pick up a few things that they needed, like milk and bread – but he usually reserved this task for Aoba.

Aoba’s English was still very poor (which was to be expected after only a month), and it was good practise for him to have to use a little in the shop, even if it was merely greetings.

They had gone to the store together only once, shortly after Aoba had first arrived, and Mink remembered how Aoba had hid behind him when they’d gone up to the till to pay. Like a child, Mink had told him to say ‘good morning’, and he’d hung his head and flushed crimson before copying what Mink had said.

On the way back, Aoba had protested that he felt stupid trying to speak English – the words sounded wrong and he couldn’t understand anybody. Unphased, Mink had solely grunted and told him that he was going to have to get used to it if he wanted to stay.

He’d caught Aoba sitting on the living room floor with Ren later that day, pointing at household objects and asking for their names in English. Mink had smiled knowingly, watching Aoba rise to the challenge. It was a side of him that Mink venerated: his stubborn determination in the face of a challenge.

Aoba’s persistence was relentless. Once he set his mind on something, he would do anything in his power to make it a reality – even travelling alone to a foreign country with next to no information of Mink’s whereabouts.

Unlike Mink, Aoba’s wishes were most commonly to the benefit of others, and to his own detriment. Mink often found himself irritated with Aoba’s selflessness, but partially because he knew that it was shaping his own attitude.

His protective wall of stoicism was gradually weakening as Aoba’s affection bled through like sunlight, reawakening feelings within him that he thought had long since died.

It was painful to feel them again; to remember what it was like to love somebody so much that you would give your life for them, and yet to remain unable to express it.

When they’d met again, almost a year after the fall of Opal Tower, Mink had been stood overlooking the vast mountain range expanding before him.

He'd felt negligible in the face of something so colossal; like he was only one person out of the thousands of millions on the planet, and his life didn’t matter much after all. Then Aoba came to his side, and the feeling evaporated instantly. Aoba’s presence and the words ‘live’ resounding in his ears were enough to tell him that his life _did_ matter, and perhaps it meant something too.

He knew that it was going to take a while for this to sink in, however. After Toue had massacred his family, he had had nobody left on this earth.

He was homeless, literally and metaphorically.

The old log cabin that he had lived in had been burnt to the ground, but that didn’t matter. Without his family in it, near to it, what was it but a pile of logs anyway?

The thing that had made his hometown ‘home’ had been cruelly eliminated, yet he continued to exist in the landscape, despite knowing that the only place where he would find ‘home’ again would be in his death.

He had had some things to do first, before he died. Like making the motherfucker who’d done this to him pay.

Getting to Japan was a bugger. Flights were not within his price range, and that’s how he found himself at the docks, threatening two ship-workers until they allowed him on board.

Of course, bribing them was not an option. Money goes to people’s heads, and once they have a taste of it, they want more. Bribing is equivalent to bargaining, and demonstrates that a person is willing to inconvenience themselves for mutual benefit. And Mink was most definitely not one for inconvenience. It was better to strike the fear of God in their hearts than risk any trouble.

However, trouble came when he arrived in Japan - but not from the ship-workers. Toue had caught wind of his arrival, and he ended up incarcerated on the premise of illegal immigration and intimidation.

It was a while before he could break out, but the time in prison gave him the chance to develop a number of beneficial contacts. It was they who had initially informed him of Aoba’s ability, and helped to get his hands on him.

He was able to exact his revenge eventually, but it wasn’t without sacrifice. He’d set his humanity aside to get what he wanted, and Aoba had borne the brunt of it. Blood thirst had obscured Mink’s vision, and made him blind to the truth of the situation.

For a long time, he believed that Sly Blue was the real Aoba, and that Aoba’s true manipulative and masochistic nature was concealed by his public façade.

It was easy to justify abusing somebody into submission when he believed them to enjoy being beaten down and controlled.

It wasn’t until he saw Sly emerge that he realized he had been wrong.

Aoba wasn’t hiding his true self. What was on the surface had been the truth all along.

Undeniably, Sly was a part of Aoba - but a part in conflict with the rest. Sly only emerged when Aoba was in danger, yet paradoxically, his self-destructive tendencies served to increase the threat. It was as if Aoba had to fight two battles: one with the part in conflict with himself, and one against Mink.

Following that incident, Mink had vowed not to hurt Aoba again, but doing so much as touching Aoba provoked such a strong feeling of regret for Mink that doing so felt forced, and was uncomfortable for both parties.  

Touching Aoba, even looking at him reminded Mink of who he had become to get his revenge, and who he had been before he had ever needed to exact it.

Now he felt like some sort of soul wandering on the shore of the river Styx, unable to accept what would give him life again and equally unable to move towards death.

At the end of the river were two islands. One was engulfed by flames and smoke - the scent of burning grass and trees and leaves and flesh. The deathly perfume that rose in the air was lustrous. It was the fragrance of finality that he had yearned for, ached for until his senses were dull and he couldn't think for want of it.

On the other side was the forest regenerated: the smell of damp earth, soft moss and cedar trees, the enchanting music of Aoba’s laughter...

Mink clenched his teeth in frustration. He was trapped between two spheres. He knew now which side he longed for, yet he was unable to attain it.

A sharp peck on his ear quite literally shook him from his thoughts.

“Bastard bird!” He scowled, hand flying to his ear.

“What is it?”

Tori’s beady eyes observed him nonchalantly, claws tightening on his shoulder uncomfortably.

“There’s someone at the door.” He answered curtly, before continuing to preen his feathers.


	3. Revenant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mink finds out who the mysterious stranger is, and wonders if Aoba really loves him.  
> Aoba is a bastard to poor Ren, and their little walk in the forest is stopped short...  
> 

 

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Time passed by to the pace of the rain, seconds falling between them like viscous droplets. They remained suspended in an oppressive fog of silence until the man’s voice broke through; weary with the weight of burdensome emotion.

“Do you still think of her?”

The words came slowly, but it took Mink a while to process them. It’d been so long since he’d heard his native language that it felt alien to him. The strangeness pained him, and his discomfort quickly turned to fury.

It shouldn’t be this way…

 _Her_ …

When the man’s words finally reached him, Mink thought of his sister: her shiny hair and toothy smile. Even in his youth, Mink had never spoken much, but his sister had always had enough words for both of them.

The man regarded him with misty eyes, tears running over the dark skin of his face. For the first time, Mink noticed that he had cataracts.

Old age had not been kind to him. Beneath his tough boots and heavy sheepskin coat, his form was frail, his posture stooping slightly. He no longer possessed the strength or proud disposition that Mink remembered him for.

Toue had robbed them of so much.

Mink opened the door wordlessly, allowing the man and the humongous eagle on his shoulder to pass into the shop.

“Working here now, are you? I’ve moved out the area – ‘bout an hour away. My neighbour was comin’ in this direction, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to pay a visit, with it being so close to the anniversary. Then I heard from Old Billy in the bar that you were back – appeared out of nowhere ‘bout six months ago. I had to find you; it’s like lookin’ at your old man when I see you. ”

He paused and swallowed uncomfortably.

“You’re all that’s left of her, you know?”

Even if he wanted to speak, Mink didn’t know what to say. Although he had been engaged to the girl, he’d never spent any time with her before the engagement, and afterwards she was always the same: pretty, but with no substance. He hadn’t thought about her since the incident, and he certainly didn’t feel enough attachment to her to be viewed as some sort of remaining fragment of her.

“I sometimes wonder, you know, what it’d be like if they hadn’t died. I might’ve had grandchildren by now. I always wanted grandkids…”

He stopped short as Mink’s expression changed, amber eyes blazing vehemently.

“They didn’t die. They were murdered.”

Tori squawked approvingly.

The man rose from his stool beside the counter and sighed heavily.

“Yes. I suppose you’re right.”

*****

An hour later the pair were sat in a bar, Mink accepting whisky wordlessly as the man continued to talk of the past, and how the future could’ve been. It didn’t take long for Mink’s thoughts to revert to Aoba.

He didn’t want to think about how his future would have been with a woman he didn’t love, what it would have been like to have children that his parents would never have the chance to see. But he did wonder what it would be like with Aoba. Did they have a future? He supposed that they must; after all, Aoba had travelled all the way to America to find him. He’d chosen Mink over Midorijima and those peculiar friends of his.

Mink felt a slight pang of guilt as he wondered what they were doing now. Koujaku and Aoba had been inseparable before, and Tae-san would be living alone now. He didn’t care much for that rabbit kid or gas mask guy, but he silently hoped that the one with the tear tattoo (Mizuki was it?) was out of the hospital. It would be pretty awful for him to have to stay there for months for something that wasn’t his fault. Not that it was Aoba’s fault either. Just like Mizuki was being controlled, Aoba’s other half had taken over and controlled him, forcing him to do things that the 'real' Aoba would never do.

Mink couldn’t imagine Aoba acting that way towards anybody, even an enemy. He was too sensitive for that, too…loving.

A sudden thought flashed into his head, causing his brow to furrow and his grip on the glass to tighten.

Was he in love with Aoba?

Was Aoba in love with him?

He almost spilt some whisky as these unwelcome thoughts continued to pervade his mind. He hated thinking about things like this, and yet now it was all he _could_ think about.

Aoba loved him. He could tell by the way that his eyes glowed with warmth when he looked at Mink, how they glinted with pleasure when he laughed at something Mink had said or done. Deep down, he knew he loved Aoba back. He just didn’t know if he was capable of reciprocating the sentiment.

“Well, it’s gettin’ kinda late. I’m gonna be headin’ off soon, it’s a bit of a drive, you know?”

The man pushed his chair out abruptly, and stood, looking down at Mink.

The eagle on his shoulder gave Mink an intimidating glare. Perhaps it knew that he hadn’t been paying attention.

As Mink rose, the man suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into an embrace, tears filling his eyes again.

“Look after yourself.”

He released him and turned away, a wry smile playing across his thin lips as he went through the door.

He smelt the same as Mink. Like cinnamon.

Mink waited a few minutes before following suit. The rain was turning into sleet, falling in uncomfortably damp sheets.

“It’s late.” A voice came from Mink’s shoulder. “I wonder what Aoba’s doing.”

Mink glowered, which only made Tori grin wider.

Sardonic shit.

*****

The foundations of Ren’s world were shaking, or more specifically, the bag that he was settled in. Whenever he went out with Aoba, this was where he sat, and Aoba was always careful not to shake him around, even when running.

The same couldn’t be said today. Ren was shaken and jostled violently with every one of Aoba’s unsteady steps. It was like a third-degree earthquake had hit them. Peering at Aoba with a slight grimace, Ren took in his pallid complexion. Dripping wet hair was plastered to his forehead, and beads of water ran down his face and dripped off his chin. His lips were tinged blue, and he was shivering uncontrollably.

“Aoba, you’re exhibiting signs of severe cold. I suggest that you take a short break to restore your energy levels before continuing.”

Aoba ploughed on as though he hadn’t heard Ren, mumbling to himself as he stumbled forwards over the woodland debris.

“Aoba!” Ren persisted.

Aoba stopped as he stumbled yet again, narrowly managing to stop himself from falling over. He turned to Ren mechanically, eyes glazed and his expression knotted in confusion.

“Where are we?” He mumbled.

Ren paused, equally confused. What on earth was he talking about?

“We’re lost in the forest, Aoba. We don’t know where we are.” He responded gravely, gazing at Aoba to monitor his reaction.

“I don’t know why we’re here.”

Aoba’s voice was small, but then, to Ren’s utter surprise, he started laughing. He slumped down on top of slimy, moss-covered log, setting his bag on the ground. “This is stupid. I don’t even know why we’re here.”

Ren jumped out of the bag, and for once, Aoba didn’t reach down to sit him on his lap. His hands were shaking so much that Ren was sure he would have dropped him if he’d tried.

How had he not noticed that Aoba’s condition was getting so bad? They needed to contact Mink, and now.

“We were looking for Mink, but then we got lost. We need to contact him so we can get back to the cabin."

Ren paused uncomfortably. "Do you remember now?"

Aoba fixed Ren with a patronizing stare, before mimicking him cruelly.

“He doesn’t take his coil to work, do  _you_ remember?”

Ren’s horror was increasing by the second. Aoba was completely out of character, and half frozen to death. They had no idea where they were going, and the sleet was quickly turning to snow. This was bad. Really bad. He briefly debated leaving Aoba and returning to the cabin to warn Mink, but of course, he had no idea which direction it was in, so it’d take a while… especially in this form. If only he had a real human body…

A second glance at Aoba told Ren that he shouldn’t leave him on his own. He was in a completely irrational state, and there was no knowing what he’d do once alone. Aoba folded his arms and crossed his legs restlessly, pulling at his wet t-shirt with disinterest.

“Have I been sat down for long enough, your highness?”

Although his words were slurred slightly, Ren could still detect the sarcastic stone. It stung him, but he responded seriously anyway.

“Not quite. You should sit for a little longer, and then we can continue.”

It was difficult for Ren to know what to do. If Aoba didn’t take a break, he’d tire himself out too much to carry on walking - but it was inevitable that the longer he sat, the colder he’d become.

“Pfft!” Aoba exhaled irritably. “I’m fine, you just worry too much. You should lighten up from time to time Ren, or your fur will start going grey.”

“I don’t believe that that is a possibility.”

Ren expected Aoba to snap something back in his current frame of mind, but again, it seemed that his attention was elsewhere. He stood up sharply, but as he went to move forwards, his knee gave way, causing him to trip again.

“Stupid fucking trees dropping their stupid fucking branches everywhere!” He cursed venomously.

He turned on Ren and snatched his bag up, putting Ren back inside without his usual care.

“Let’s go.”

As they moved forwards, Ren began to list the traits of Aoba’s behaviour in his head. It was discomfiting to see him like this. He wasn’t at all himself, but he wasn’t Sly Blue either…

Realization struck him. Aoba was struggling to walk properly, his lips were blue and hands were shaking. He was confused, and slurring his speech slightly. Those were symptoms of hypothermia.

“Aoba. I believe that you are showing signs of hypothermia. We need to get help quickly.”

“I’m fine, Ren, I told you. Look!” Aoba tore off his his jacket and tossed it across the clearing. “I’m pretty warm, so there you go. You’re wrong for once.”

“Aoba, you’re shaking with cold!” Ren couldn’t help but let his usually calm demeanor crumble. Distress crept into his voice as Aoba stormed forwards, not paying attention to where he was going.

Ren saw it before Aoba did, but by then it was too late.

An agonized scream pierced through the night air as metal teeth bit into Aoba’s leg. Blood poured through the rips that the claws had made in his jeans, dying the fabric murky red. Aoba clutched at the teeth desperately, trying to prise them apart with shaking hands, but the strength had left his body. The adrenaline kick from the shock and pain made him even shakier, and all of the blood rushed out of his head. He had never, in his life, experienced such severe pain.

The claws tore into his tendons, ripping at his flesh further as he tried to pull the teeth apart. The sounds around him were fading, and the last thing he felt was a thud as his head hit the ground.


	4. Resonance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The agony is too much for Aoba, and Sly pops by to say hello.  
> Mink goes to visit his family's graves.

 

Ren circled Aoba frenziedly, nudging his face with his nose and licking at his cheeks and eyelids – but it was to no avail.

Aoba looked dead. Snow was falling in his hair and melting on his lifeless skin. His face was expressionless, his body immune to Ren’s touch. Somehow managing to think logically for a few seconds, Ren checked Aoba’s heart-rate on his internal monitor. It was dangerously low; the only advantage being that the bleeding had slowed.

He moved to get a closer look at Aoba’s leg. The claws were embedded deep, just lower than mid-calf level. He couldn’t see the skin very well because of Aoba’s jeans, but it was certain that he would need stitches. For the third time since Aoba had collapsed, Ren rang Mink’s coil. He knew that Mink didn’t take it to work with him, but if he saw all of the missed calls and voice mails when he arrived home, he was bound to hurry to them…

Again, there was no answer. Just as Ren was considering what he could possibly do to improve the situation, he heard a voice.

“Ahh, it hurts. It’s _agony_.” Ren turned to the now sitting figure. His eyes gleamed malevolently as he trailed a hand down his leg and pressed on the flesh surrounding the trap with his fingertips. His voice was breathy and dripping with ecstasy.

“If _I’d_ been the one in control, he wouldn’t have walked into this thing. It’s actually quite big isn’t it? I thought the only animals they had round here were foxes and minks.” He paused, flicking the metal lazily with a fingernail. “This is what he gets for never letting me take the reins…I’d like to see our Mink stuck here, begging for help.”

“Sly!” Ren growled, narrowing his eyes savagely. “Give Aoba back!”

“Hmm, I’m sorry, but Aoba’s currently indisposed. He’s not like me, you see. He can’t deal with pain or confusion.” Sly smirked cruelly. “He hasn’t got any idea what’s going on right now, the hopeless idiot, so I’m taking over for a bit…anyway, how are you, poor Renny? Are you all upset with him being mean to you?” Sly reached over and ruffled Ren’s fur with mock concern.

“Don’t make me bite you.”

 His face flashed with amusement. “Oya, oya. Now we know _that_ wouldn’t achieve anything. I like blood. Or have I been locked away for so long that you don’t remember?” To prove his point, he skimmed his hands across his leg and brought a bloodied finger to his lips, licking it slowly.

Ren paused for a few seconds. He knew what Sly was like – he’d be bored with taunting him in a matter of minutes. Gritting his teeth slightly, Ren looked Sly directly in the eyes.

“Please. Just don’t make it any worse for him.”

****

It wasn’t often that Mink expressed his feelings verbally, let alone having a conversation with a dead person - but that’s what he found himself doing. It was nearing 11:15pm by the time he reached the makeshift graveyard. The streetlights had been switched off, but the drifting snow gave off a light of its own, covering the scorched earth with downy flake.

It was unusual for him to do this. Mink hadn’t visited the graves since arriving in America; he hadn’t felt the need to. He offered prayers to the deceased daily, and he didn’t need something artificial like the piles of stones and twigs marking the graves to make him feel close to them. Yet now, he found himself here.

It was the man’s words. They had had an impact on him after all, propelling him to visit the very site where he had watched his friends, family and neighbours be slaughtered.

The raging fires and Toue’s amused grin loomed in his mind, and he balled his fists at the thought. He wondered what his parents would think of his life now, if they would be proud of him… The thought made him choke a little, but he swallowed it back. That wretched old man putting impossible possibilities in his head! There was no use thinking about what things _might_ have been like. They weren’t, and never would be.

“Mink, are you okay?”

It was rare for Tori to ask questions, and even more remarkable for him to show concern.

Mink inclined his head slightly, before turning to Tori.

“What time is it?”

“11:30pm.”

“Hmph. We should be going.”

Mink swiftly turned his back on the wasteland before him and began marching homewards. It wasn’t much longer before he arrived at the cabin. He stopped at the door and took a few slow, deep breaths, trying to ensure that he was fully composed before seeing Aoba, if he was still awake that was.

He opened the door as quietly as possible in case Aoba _was_ asleep, although he was such as heavy sleeper a ferocious bear could have entered the house and Aoba wouldn’t have noticed. There was no “welcome home” to greet him, so Mink assumed that he must be right. Strolling over to the sofa, he noticed that the fireplace had gone out, so Aoba must have gone to bed a while ago. There was nobody in the living room, so he went to check the bedrooms.

There was nobody in the spare bedroom either, and Mink almost chuckled to himself that Aoba must be in his bed, cheeky shit, but when he opened the door and flicked on the light switch, he found that the room was vacant. In fact, he couldn’t even feel the presence of anybody else in the house.

“Aoba?” He called out, wandering over to the bathroom. The door was open, and it was empty.

“Aoba?!” More loudly this time, but still no answer.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted his coil on the living room table. Picking it up, he found three missed calls, all from Aoba. His stomach was attacked with an unpleasant flipping sensation as he picked it up and listened to one of the answerphone messages.

“Mink, it’s Ren. Aoba is seriously hurt. We went into the forest to find you, but we got lost. Aoba is unconscious. He’s showing signs of hypothermia, and he has his leg stuck in an animal trap of some sort. We need you to come and help us.”

In that moment, Mink’s mind went blank, and with the same quick transition, he snapped into action. _Hypothermia_ …he quickly gathered a towel and a blanket, and after going through a few cupboards he managed to locate a first aid box with some bandages and tape. He ran as quickly as he could towards the forest, ordering Tori to locate them and fly back to him. Tori came back moments later, and flying besides him, began to direct him.

“Sly’s come out.”

Mink could taste blood at the back of his throat from taking in such cold air as he ran, but he managed to respond with an animalistic growl.

“The fucker had better not have done anything to Aoba.”

Blood pounded in his ears and snow crunched underfoot as he continued running, his feet hammering into the ground as if he were being chased by rabid hounds. It was a few minutes before they entered the clearing, and when they did, Mink was repulsed by the sight that greeted him. Aoba, or rather, Sly, was sat before him, topless and covered in dirt and blood.

“Sly! What have you done to him?”


	5. Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sly wants a forest fuck, whilst all Mink wants to do is treat Aoba's wounds.  
> Chapter warnings for Blood and 'graphic depictions of violence' (if you can count these as graphic :S)

 

Mink closed the space between them rapidly, shooting Sly a murderous look before crouching to examine the trap.

“It wasn’t me.” Sly spat scornfully. “Do you really think I’d be stupid enough to run into one of these things?” He raised his leg and shook it slightly.

“Stop. Don’t move it.” Mink commanded.

Sly sneered, shaking his leg in Mink’s face provocatively. Already at breaking point, Mink grabbed him by the hair and pulled Sly towards him, bringing their faces so close together that their noses touched. Sly fell forwards, raising a hand to Mink’s shoulder to push him away, but Mink grabbed both wrists and clenched them together, gripping them tightly in his own hands.

“Leave Aoba alone.”

Golden eyes locked on amber, neither willing to back down.

“Ouch.” Sly moaned softly. Then, with perhaps his most inciting sneer yet: “you do treat me well Mink-chan…you know I like it rough. Aren’t you going to do me? We could have a nice forest fuck…”

Before he could finish, a harsh hand slapped him across the face with such force he was surprised that his nose didn’t bleed. His head snapped backwards, and Mink grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked it so that they were looking into each other’s faces once again. 

“Hmmm, I guess that’s a no. You do know that you hurt him too when you do this?”

Sly was clearly enjoying the situation…it made Mink sick.

“And if you share a body, then you’ll know that if he dies, you’ll die with him.”

Mink tightened his grip further. He was furious; even more furious than he’d ever been with Aoba or Sly at Platinum Jail. Anybody else would have been frankly terrified. Mink was huge, and getting into a bust-up with him was like entering a losing battle – but Sly still liked to try. He found it exhilarating to be on the receiving end of Mink’s anger.

“Shut the fuck up and stay still.” He hissed through gritted teeth, before gradually loosening his grip on Sly’s hair and letting go. He turned towards Ren, reaching for the towel and blanket.

“Where’s his shirt and jacket, Ren?”

“The shirt was wet. Sly said that it was annoying him, so he removed it. Aoba took off his coat and threw it before he got caught in the trap, so it should be around here somewhere.”

“Why did he do that?” Mink muttered, to himself more than anybody else.

“He was trying to prove that he wasn’t cold.”

Mink clicked his tongue in frustration and began drying Sly’s chest with the towel, one hand snaking round his back to help hold him upright. Sly’s eyes widened with pleasure.

“So you’ve given up hitting me and now you’re going to rub me down, ‘ey? Talk about sweet and sour!”

He let out an airy laugh, but Mink carried on what he was doing, responding in a low, weary tone.

“I’m doing this for Aoba. We need to warm him up as soon as possible, or you’re both going to be dead.”

Mink moved to his back and rubbed Sly’s skin roughly, bringing the blanket over his slight shoulders and wrapping it around him. He gave his hair a quick ruffle with the same towel, causing Sly to yelp in pain or pleasure, then took off his coat and laid it directly behind Sly’s back.

“What are you going to do to me now, old man?”

Mink ignored him, pushing him down until he was lying on top of Mink’s coat.

“Lie down and keep still.”

Thinking better than to provoke Mink at that moment, Sly stayed quiet and looked up at the stars. The snow had stopped, and the night sky was so black he felt that it could swallow him up… but not in a cold, horrible way. In a kind of warm engulfing way, where nothing matters and you’re just floating in space. An unfamiliar feeling of warmth was building up inside. He imagined that it was the same sort of feeling as to when you’ve just had a hot meal with loved ones, or you’re sat around a campfire singing songs with friends.

Contentment.

It was quite nice being looked after like this; having someone show that they loved him, even if it wasn’t meant for him.

Sly closed his eyes just as Mink began to pull the trap apart. He didn’t open them again.

*****

Mink was so focussed on dismantling the trap that it took him a while to notice that Sly had gone quiet. He operated as carefully as possible, squeezing the springs at either side of the trap to release its jaws, but the claws were so embedded in Aoba’s leg he’d still have to pull them apart.

He glanced over at Sly to see how he was taking it, but his face was obscured by a mass of damp blue hair.

“I’m going to pull it apart now.”

He set to work, holding either side gently yet firmly, and started to separate them. Blood escaped the wound again, trickling through the fabric and down the side of Aoba’s leg.

“Sly?”

There was no answer. Mink raised himself slightly and peered at Sly’s face. It seemed that the pain had been too much, even for him. Mink was secretly glad that it had shut him up for a bit. Sly was difficult to deal with at the best of times, and he needed to treat these wounds as soon as possible.

Ren, who had been stood beside Sly’s face, wandered over to Mink.

“Is it okay?”

“I don’t know. I need to see it more clearly. He’s definitely going to need stitches, though.”

Mink undid Aoba’s belt and pulled his wet trousers off, being careful not to pull too hard when they slipped over the wounded area.

On closer inspection, purple-red bruising had already set in above and below the lacerations, marring Aoba’s pale skin. Mink’s frown deepened. It was a bad wound, one that would be better with hospital treatment. He was going to have to call the doctor out when they got home.

“How’s he doing physically?” Mink asked, wrapping bandages around the area and knotting them tightly before adding a little tape.

“His pulse is still too low, although slightly better than before. His temperature hasn’t improved at all. We need to get him indoors quickly.”

Finished with the bandaging, Mink quickly dried off his legs and pulled the blanket so that it was covering Sly’s whole body. He wrapped the coat all the way around to prevent the blanket from getting wet.

It was easy to forget just how bad Aoba’s condition was when Sly took over. It was as if he was as self-destructive as possible when he came out so that Aoba would have to suffer later: a punishment for not letting him be the one in charge.

Distracted by his thoughts, Mink forced himself to get on the move again, stuffing the remaining bandages and Aoba’s wet clothes into the bag.

Bleary green eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted by blackness.

“M-Mink…”


	6. Entrapment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba has no idea what's going on and completely freaks out, whilst Mink is left to awkwardly comfort him.  
> Mink tells Aoba his true feelings (but Aoba doesn't hear them).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Aoba exhibits PTSD like symptoms in this chapter

Aoba tried to move his arms, but he couldn’t. Something was wrapped tightly around him, impeding his movements.

He was trapped, and he couldn’t see properly.

Everything was so dark.

He felt a movement beside him, and his panic soared. Who was it? Were they going to hurt him?

He didn’t know what was going on, and his head was throbbing painfully, making it impossible for him to concentrate enough to get his bearings. He scrunched his eyes shut as a sharp pain shot through his skull, streaking the darkness with blinding white, needle-thin stripes.

Suddenly, his vision was overtaken with images of grey walls and concrete floor. He could see the shoes of people surrounding him, holding machine guns, and worst of all, that pair of knee-high steel-toe cap boots…

This was too much. Tears flooded his eyes, and he thrashed against the thing binding him as hard as he could. Whatever it was fell open, freeing his arms. He immediately pushed himself into sitting position, hanging his head as he gasped for air. His head was spinning, but his vision gradually swam back into focus through the tears.

He could see somebody’s body, naked apart from their boxers, and bloodied bandages wrapped around their leg.

In a strange moment of disembodiment, Aoba didn’t realize that he was staring at himself. When he did, he felt like he was going to be sick.

When had all this happened? What was going on?

The back of somebody’s hand brushed his cheek, gently wiping his tears away. He closed his eyes and curled in on himself, terrified of seeing who it was. Pain ran through his leg as he did, brutally reinforcing his hopeless situation.

“Aoba. You’re okay.”

It was Ren’s voice. Ren was there. His panic diminished slightly as he felt his soft, familiar fur against his skin.

“What – what happened?” His mouth felt funny when he spoke, like his lips weren’t his own, and his voice sounded as if he was drunk.

Now that he was sat up, he could see that the blackness before was the forest canopy, and the thing that had stopped him from moving was a blanket. It was a sort of burgundy colour, and patterned with all sorts of colourful squares and zigzags. There was a coat over the top too - Mink’s.

Slowly, Aoba’s eyes travelled up to the person wiping away his tears. It was Mink - his face taut with concern, and eyes full of sadness. He wrapped the blanket around Aoba again wordlessly, and left a steadying hand around his back.

“We came to look for Mink in the forest. You were injured by the trap, and then became too cold. You most likely do not remember as the hypothermia has put you into a confused state, and additionally, Sly took over after you were injured.”

Aoba opened his mouth to reply, but didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t remember what had happened properly, even with Ren telling him, but he trusted Mink - so why did those memories come up? There was silence for a few minutes, before Mink began to speak, his tone sincere and apologetic.

“I’m sorry that the blanket scared you. I only wrapped it tightly so you’d be warmer.”

He stared at the ground, his expression just as confused and sorry as Aoba felt. Aoba had never heard him speak like this before, or felt emotion radiating from Mink as strongly as it was now. Guilt stabbed at him for even thinking about what had happened, and he felt his eyes pricking with tears again. The Mink that he knew now was completely different from then, so why had he amalgamated the two images?

Before he could stop himself, weak sobs were wracking his body, and he buried his face into Mink’s shoulder. Mink’s chest contracted with a sharp intake of breath, then relaxed as he slowly put both arms around Aoba and pulled him closer, rubbing a hand up and down his back in a soft, rhythmic motion.

“You’re freezing.” He murmured, but they stayed like that all the same.

After what felt like an hour, but had in fact been five minutes, Aoba’s sobs died down into the odd sniffle. He didn’t know where the energy to cry had come from, but now he barely had the strength to keep his eyes open. Mink’s warmth was so comforting; he just wanted to fall asleep like this and not wake up again until everything was okay – but then he felt the warmth pulling away. One hand remained on his shoulder, and he opened his eyes blearily to see the other reaching for his bag, pushing the wet clothes inside it to one side to make room for Ren.

Aah. It all made sense now.

Aoba allowed his eyelids to shut, his head dropping forwards slightly. He felt Mink’s arms around him again, and all of a sudden he was floating.

He didn’t bother to open his eyes again. The warmth was back, and that’s all he needed to know.

“Aoba. You need to stay awake.”

Mink gave him a soft squeeze, and Aoba nodded lazily, keeping his eyes closed.

“You’ll have to talk to him, Mink. He’s not going to be able to stay awake on his own.” Tori quipped amusedly.

Mink grunted resentfully, knowing it to be true: Aoba had already started to fall asleep again.

“Okay, I’m going to tell you why I was late home tonight. Are you listening, Aoba?”

Aoba moved his head slightly in a nodding motion, and Mink took that as a yes. His reaction time was pretty slow, but Mink knew that Aoba was really out of it now. He was injured, he’d been in the cold for hours and his consciousness had switched with Sly Blue. It was no wonder he was so exhausted.

Mink swallowed hesitantly. He hadn’t talked to anybody about his past in detail before, and now he was going to share some of it with Aoba. He doubted that Aoba would be able to hear him properly, but the thought still engendered a sort of discomfort within him.

“I saw somebody from my tribe tonight. He was the only other one to survive – my Father’s best friend. He was away from the village when it happened, looking for a surprise for his daughter. He wanted to get her something special for the wedding. The wedding was going to be to me… I was going to marry her, but I didn’t love her. We didn’t know each other, but that’s just the way things were, in our tribe. The elders made what they believed to be suitable matches, and we went through with them. I never had to in the end though, of course.”

Mink looked down at Aoba, but his face hadn’t changed. He looked quite peaceful; a marked contrast from when he first woke up after Sly had relinquished control. Mink teased a strand of his hair carefully. Aoba still had feeling in it, and he didn’t want to hurt him even more than he was already hurting.

“But I’ve got you now, always causing me trouble. I don’t know what person with sense goes into the forest in the middle of the night without proper clothing, but I guess you never had any of that. Not to come back to me anyway…”

Mink’s tone of voice lowered as he looked at Aoba again, aware that he wasn’t taking in any of his words.

“I'm glad you did, but you deserve better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't anticipate as much mush at the end, but there you go! I'm not sure how fast updates are going to be as I have exams over the next two weeks, but I'll try and get some stuff done in my breaks. Sorry! I hope you enjoyed this, and continue to stick with it until the end ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba gets treatment for his wounds and wonders whether he and Mink are really a 'thing'

 

“Aoba.”

A hand was on his shoulder, shaking him, and he opened his eyes with difficulty - a fresh wave of disorientation upsetting his surroundings. The fire’s blaze seared his retinas, and he blinked uncomfortably a few times before the living room swam into focus.

Turning his head weakly, he saw Mink standing in front of him, clutching a pair of baggy tracksuit bottoms, a long sleeve tshirt and one of his own thick jumpers. Ren was curled up on the sofa next to him, eyes bright and ears perked up in anticipation.

“I’ve made some phone calls and got in contact with the village doctor. He’s going to look at your leg. I would have done it myself, but it’s probably going to need stitches.”

Mink’s words came quietly, and Aoba couldn’t detect a vestige of emotion in his voice. He squinted slightly, trying to unearth the emotion in Mink’s face, but he was seeing in double vision: the two images sliding over one another until they finally melded into a coherent whole. Amber eyes met his. Their depth was both unsettling and entrancing – they looked tired, concerned and sad…all at the same time.

Fragments of the earlier events came back to Aoba and slotted together in his mind. He remembered Mink looking worried, guilty and confused. It called to mind his changed impression of Mink after their experience in Opal Tower. Shortly after the incident, Aoba had been on a delivery in the Old Resident district when he’d come across a burnt out building. All that remained inside were ashes and charred remains, but the structure of the building remained intact. Aoba had felt that Mink was like the building: empty inside, and containing only charred remnants of humanity.

At the time, Aoba hadn’t felt as though there was much hope for Mink, but now he realised that although the building was battered, it wasn’t completely empty – it still had a chance at being rebuilt. Initially, Mink’s persistent apathy had made Aoba wonder if Mink was even capable of the sort of emotional capacity that Aoba had seen him demonstrate in the forest. They had lived together for months, but their relationship had not yet reached the closeness Aoba was longing for. They ate dinner together, and sometimes went to the shop together (Aoba mostly went alone now), but all of the displays of affection were one sided.

At least, they had been until now.

Mink had looked after him in the forest, and gone to the trouble of calling a doctor out in the early hours of the morning, but at the same time, Aoba knew that he himself would do that for anybody else in trouble. It wasn’t really anything special that Mink had helped him, was it? Yet at the same time, Mink’s fleeting, complicated expressions showed that there was more.

There had to be.

Aoba frowned momentarily and pushed the thoughts from his mind.

“Mink…you look tired.”

His voice rang out hoarse, and his leg caused him to give a sharp gasp of pain as he rolled over to face Mink properly, but he managed to smile anyway. He was grateful for Mink saving him, regardless of how it compared to Mink saving anybody else.

Mink ignored the comment, and put the clothes beside Aoba’s feet pointedly.

“Get dressed. You’ll never warm up half naked.”

Aoba flushed with humiliation, mumbling something along the lines of “it wasn’t me that stripped” before trying to sit up. His arms shook from the exertion, and he could feel his face flushing even more, embarrassed by his own weakness. Mink merely wrapped one hand around Aoba’s bicep and placed another on his back before pulling him up. He turned to leave the room, and despite the fact that Aoba was used to this by now, he still found himself biting back his tongue as he nearly called out Mink’s name.

He hated how much he needed him.

Aoba stroked Ren with shaking hands, vaguely wondering what sort of village doctor would agree to come and visit somebody that they’d never met at this time in the morning. He supposed that Mink must have been quite forceful on the phone, or maybe it was somebody else he knew? He had vaguely heard Mink talking about somebody that he used to know in the forest – another survivor from the tribe.

It was strange to think of him spending time with people, though Aoba knew that Mink hadn’t wanted to see that man. Yet, he must have known the village doctor to ring him. Before Aoba came to Cedarwood, Mink had been living here alone for almost a year. He must have _some_ acquaintances – some people to talk to in the village. After all, there was no way he could have been alone for the entire year. Aoba couldn’t imagine being alone for a week, let alone a year.

The thoughts trickled through his mind like treacle, mixing together muddily and stopping him from arriving at any solid conclusions. It was too difficult to think about all of this now – nothing made sense to him. He had so many things he wanted to ask Mink, but he’d just have to hold on. Right now he had to concentrate on getting dressed, or at least trying to.

He picked up the pile of clothes and set about trying to put the tshirt on. His hands were shaking terribly, and it took a lot longer than it should have, but he just about managed. The trackies were another story. When he tried to stand up, pain stabbed through his leg, causing him to fall back onto the sofa immediately. Fresh blood soaked through the bandages and ran down his calf. It hurt so much he thought that he was going to be sick.

Mink arrived as Aoba fell, watching his face scrunch up in agony and frustration. He looked down at the drenched bandages and sighed in exasperation.

“Don’t try to move on your own, idiot. You’ll hurt yourself even more.”

He set a mug on the coffee table before digging some tissues out of his pockets and wiping the blood away. Aoba expected him to move away again, but he grabbed the bottom of Aoba's top and started tugging it off.

“Oi! What’re you doing?” Aoba gasped in surprise, recoiling slightly as a wave of cold air hit his bare skin.

Mink ignored him, twisting the top around before pulling it on again. Aoba put his arms through the sleeves reluctantly, eyeing Mink suspiciously all the while.

“It was on backwards.”

The corners of Mink’s mouth twitched into a smile, and Aoba face felt like it was burning. Accepting his defeat, Aoba let Mink help him with the trousers and jumper, then settled wearily against the back of the sofa. He felt a little dizzy from all of the movement, and the throbbing pain in his leg and head were making him feel nauseous. All he wanted to do was sleep…

“Aoba, you should have something to eat and drink. Hypothermia causes dehydration, and your energy levels are low.”

“I’m not hungry.” Aoba mumbled after a pause, eyes closed as he slid further down the sofa. He felt the cushions dip beside him, and a pause before arms wrapped around him, pulling his body closer and swathing him in a blanket.

“What’re you doing?” He asked Mink, his confusion about their relationship-not-relationship increasing.

“Sharing body heat is the best way to warm someone up.” Mink replied calmly. He leant forwards and picked the mug up pointedly.

“I’ve made you some tea.”

Aoba didn’t respond. He let the other thoughts dissolve momentarily and leant into Mink’s chest. He was finally getting the touch he craved, and he couldn’t care less about tea right now. He could feel the warmth radiating from Mink again, and he never wanted it to go away.

“Aoba, you have to stay awake until the doctor arrives. At least have some tea.”

It was Ren. He’d been quiet for a while, and Aoba looked down at him lazily. He was perched on the edge of the seat between Aoba and the arm rest, his head cocked to one side imploringly. Realizing that he was going to be pestered until he gave in, Aoba ruffled Ren’s fur and turned to Mink, smiling lightly.

“I guess I can’t say no if you made it.”

Mink began to pass the mug to Aoba and then stopped.

“Can you hold it?”

“I – yes.”

Aoba took it uncertainly, his jittering hands almost immediately sloshing the contents all over them. Mink reacted quickly; placing his hands over Aoba’s to steady the shaking.

“I thought you said yes.” He grumbled.

Aoba expected Mink to withdraw his hands after the cup had stopped shaking, but he didn’t. Understanding, he inclined his head and sipped a little.

“It’s sweet!” He said in surprise.

“I put sugar in it.” Mink responded gruffly.

There was a knock at the door as Aoba had finished half of the cup, and Mink took the mug off him, setting it back on the table before rising to get the door. Despite the fact that Aoba could still see his broad back and long hair, the irrational panic that Mink was going to leave him alone again continued to harass him.

The doctor didn’t look particularly pleased to see Mink, not saying a word as he strode into the sitting room in a business-like fashion.

“I’m assuming that you are the patient?”

It was more of a statement than a question, and before Aoba had had the chance to reply, the doctor had set down his suitcase and began to take items out, his gaze flitting between it and Aoba. He grabbed Aoba’s wrist and started to take his pulse, muttering to himself as he scribbled Aoba’s heart rate down on a piece of paper. Aoba watched as the doctor took a thermometer out pressed it against his lips, sliding it under his tongue. He had only seen such an old fashioned thermometer in pictures before, and the cool metal and glass felt uncomfortable in his mouth. He was incredibly tense from all of the scrutiny, and the additional worry that he might accidentally break the thermometer wasn’t helping.

“Which leg is it?”

Aoba opened his mouth to talk, and the thermometer nearly fell out. He clamped it shut again and gestured towards his right leg. The doctor rolled his trousers upwards and set about taking the bandages off.

“Who bandaged this?” He asked, cutting through them with surgical scissors and tearing off the tape without care.

“I did.” Mink responded.

“Hmm.” His answer gave nothing away.

He pulled the thermometer out of Aoba’s mouth, and without turning to Mink, ordered him to get more blankets. Mink retreated, and Aoba fidgeted nervously. The doctor’s clipped speech and brisk attitude was making him uncomfortable, and he knew that Mink hated being ordered around, especially by somebody that he didn’t know…but _did_ they know each other?

“Do you two, um, know each other?” He asked, trying to start a conversation. All of the silence was making his nerves worse.

The doctor gave him a cold stare, and Aoba looked away, mumbling apologies. A sharp prick in his finger stopped him mid sentence. The doctor read something off a monitor and addressed him again, looking directly into Aoba’s eyes. The harsh stare was gone, but some of the coldness remained.

Everything about this man was sterile and clinical, right down to the surgical steel grey of his eyes.

“Your blood sugar is low - you need to eat something.” He paused, pulling the coffee table towards Aoba. “I’m going to do the stitches now.”

With effort, Aoba swung his legs onto the coffee table obediently. His Grandma would kill him if she ever saw him with his feet on the furniture like this, even if it was for the sake of getting stitches. He missed her shouting at him. He especially missed how she used to shout at Koujaku every time he came to visit, and Koujaku's sheepish reaction as she told him that he had overstayed his welcome. Aoba knew that, in reality, she liked it when Koujaku came to visit. If she didn’t, there was no way she’d make so many doughnuts.

Mink reappeared with more blankets, draping them over Aoba’s shoulders, and he managed a small smile.

Another thing that Mink had done tonight that showed he cared; but at the same time, Aoba couldn’t ignore his panic attack in the forest. The sickening feeling of being trapped and subject to Scratch’s whims kept repeating in his mind.

Ren watched as Aoba’s smile disappeared a little too soon for it to have been genuine. He closed his eyes, brow furrowed and lips pressed into a firm line. To anyone else, it would have looked like Aoba didn’t like needles, but Ren knew better. Aoba used to shoot up all the time during his teenage years, and even though it was Sly doing so, Ren had seen Aoba have blood tests in the hospital during the aftermath of the Rhyme accident, and it had never bothered him then.

The doctor disinfected the wound and began to stitch it together.

“It feels weird.” Aoba muttered.

A concentrated silence followed until the doctor began to pack his tools away.

“It’s done. You must come to me in a week’s time for me to remove the stitches. In the meantime, don’t get it wet for 24 hours, and rest it as much as possible. The muscle’s all torn up in there – you _must_ give it time to heal.”

He looked at Aoba sternly before producing a piece of paper and scribbling on it.

“I’ve wrote down the name of the painkillers that you’ll need to take, but it would be better if you came to the surgery to pick up a prescription for stronger ones. Well,” He narrowed his eyes at Mink “I suppose that it’ll be you that has to come.” He rose to his feet and nodded at Aoba. “That’ll be all.”

Mink followed him to the door in two sweeping strides. The pair paused at the doorway, staring at each other with blank expressions. The doctor broke the stand-off, passing through the door without turning around.

“Consider my debt written off.”


	8. Consequence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba finds out the story behind the doctor (I'm really bad at summaries)

Mink returned to sit beside Aoba, looking at him with a mixture of interest and amusement.

“Did you understand anything he was saying to you?”

A few seconds passed without reply as Aoba struggled to suppress a yawn. He was clearly in pain, shifting in discomfort and grimacing as he caught sight of his stitched-up leg. His skin was so pale it appeared translucent, a distinctive green tinge declaring that he wasn’t in the best condition.

“Some of it,” he mumbled “I could get a vague idea from where he was looking and pointing, but I didn’t understand the majority…”

He trailed off dejectedly and reached down to prod at the stitches, but Mink hastily caught Aoba’s hand in his own, enclosing his warm palms around Aoba’s icy bones.

“Don’t touch them.” He reprimanded sternly.

“I know I shouldn’t, but it feels really strange. I could feel him doing it, like my skin was a piece of fabric or something…”

Aoba leaned forwards to get a better look, but Mink pulled him back to rest against the sofa, squeezing his hand gently.

“Hmm, so you said.” Mink replied seriously. Then, with a hint of humour in his voice “You do know that you were speaking half in English, half in Japanese?”

“I did?!” Aoba’s eyes widened in surprise before his expression fell to disappointment. “No wonder he wasn’t answering me properly.”

“It’s his character. He’d be like that even if he knew Japanese.”

“Do you…know him?” Aoba asked. He didn’t want to upset Mink, and it’d seemed like a sensitive topic with the doctor. Then again, perhaps the doctor had looked at him that way because he didn’t understand…

Mink didn’t reply, his grip on Aoba’s hand loosening as he stared into the fireplace with an impassive expression. Aoba watched the fire cast shadows over Mink’s face, painting his high cheekbones with a greater prominence. His suspicions increased as the light hit Mink’s eyes, igniting them with a reminiscent glow, and proving that Mink wasn’t entirely emotionless about the question. It had obviously provoked some past, some memory within him, and he was turning it over in his mind.

“His son got sucked into a drug cartel. It’s easy for you to get your hands on them here – they bring them over the border from Mexico. Needless to say, there are rivalries between the gangs selling the drugs. They all want to knock out their competition to make the most money. His son didn’t have the guts for it - he was just a normal kid from a well-off family.”

Mink sighed heavily, weary with the memory of it all.

“Anyway, he had some of the drugs that he was supposed to be selling stolen by another gang. The kid was shitting himself – he’d be in trouble if he didn’t make the cut for his own gang, so he went into a bar and stole someone’s handbag. It ended up in a fight, and they were beating the kid to death. I got involved and took the kid back to his father, but when he saw me with his son, his father was terrified. He tried to threaten me with the consequences of telling people about the drug cartel. Pfft.”

Mink scowled gripping Aoba’s hand tighter.

“I guess he was more bothered about his reputation than his son. Anyway, his threats were all groundless. I told him so, and that I had no intention of getting further involved with his business. He’s been afraid that I might spill the truth since then. Tonight was him repaying the favour of me not speaking up.”

Aoba watched Mink’s face as carefully as he could through half-lidded eyes as Mink told the story. He’d never realized how beautifully expressive Mink’s eyes were until now. The stark contrast to the cold grey-blue of their time in Glitter was both exhilarating and terrifying. How could this be the same person? The explanation had gone over Aoba's head a bit, but he'd still got the main point - that Mink had helped this boy and spared the doctor a humiliation.

“You wouldn’t have told anyway, would you?” Aoba asked quietly.

Mink merely shook his head.

“It’s late, and you need to rest. You should eat something first though.”

Mink disappeared into the kitchen, and re-appeared seconds later with some chocolate.

“Chocolate?” Aoba asked, confused. “I thought you didn’t like sweet stuff.”

Mink grunted, avoiding eye contact as he pushed it towards Aoba.

“I bought it for you. For Valentine’s Day.”

“What?!” Aoba’s shock level had escalated from ten to a hundred in a matter of seconds. “Valentine’s Day? But-but you don’t do stuff like that!”

“But you do.”

Aoba felt a lump building in his throat. How was he supposed to respond to that? Mink had got him something like this because he knew that it was important to him. Yet again, his earlier doubts crept back up, taunting him mercilessly.

Aoba slowly bit into the chocolate bar. It was good, it tasted expensive – not that Mink would have purposely spent more than he needed to on it. Despite the sentiment (or because of it) Aoba found that he couldn’t eat it. It stuck in his throat, making him feel as though he was suffocating. Aoba hung his head, feeling tears begin to run down his face again. His eyes still felt sore from crying earlier, and he cringed inwardly knowing how much he had cried in front of Mink in one evening.

“Aoba, what’s wrong?” Ren asked.

Ren never asked him what was wrong – he always asked him if he was okay. Aoba guessed that it was clear now that he wasn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Mink as he began to talk.

“I-when we were in the forest and I freaked out a bit, I…I thought that we were in the Scratch den.”

He took a shallow, shaky breath, eyes flitting nervously to Mink’s face before snapping back down.

“And, and when you were trying to help me, I thought that it was the old you… I didn’t know what to do, and there was no escape…I don’t know how I could think that!”

Aoba’s voice rose as he choked the words out through broken sobs, desperately trying to gulp enough air to continue. Mink didn’t respond, rubbing spirals along Aoba’s back as he waited for him to finish.

“I just – I have so much to ask you.” Aoba heaved out with finality, reaching for Mink’s hand again. Aoba regarded him with a small apologetic smile, and Mink took Aoba’s extended hand cautiously, as though dealing with a delicate object. When he accepted it, Aoba snuggled into Mink’s side, feeling his warmth and heartbeat and feeling grateful, so grateful, that they were both alive. There were things that they needed to work out, but right now he wanted to stop thinking about the past and focus on what they had now. His last thought before his eyes slipped closed was that he was wrong when he’d compared Mink finding a stranger in the forest to finding him. Mink hadn’t coincidentally found him, he’d set out to find him.

***

When Mink was sure that Aoba was asleep, he untangled himself carefully and went to put out the fire. Ren watched him dolefully, clearly worried about his master’s health. Mink inclined his head wordlessly, and then carried Aoba into the bedroom. He wasn’t sure if Aoba would prefer to sleep alone in the spare bedroom or beside him, but it would be best to keep an eye on him. Mink laid Aoba down and unravelled the blankets from him, quickly covering him over with the duvet and a thick throw.

Before joining him, Mink went and sat beside the window. The morning sky was gradually beginning to lighten, sunlight bleeding through the thick, snowy clouds. Outside was relatively silent, but it would be dawn soon, marking the arrival of another day. In the past, Mink would rise at dawn. He wanted to live as few days as possible, and if getting up earlier to fulfill his plan was what he needed to do in order to achieve that, he would. Now the concept of it seemed strangely refreshing. A rare feeling graced him at the thought. Relief or happiness – he wasn’t sure.

He closed his eyes, put his hands together and began to pray.


	9. Give Me The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mink and Aoba have a serious talk about their relationship, and decide how to move forwards from here (still as bad at summaries as ever).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: It's been a long time since I've updated, so please refresh your memory with the previous chapters. I have modified some of them quite significantly in order to make the ending more fitting.

It was 3pm by the time Aoba woke up again. His leg throbbed uncomfortably, and his whole body was achy and sore. His movements were sluggish as he sat up (with a great deal of effort), and his body didn’t feel like his own. Despite how long he’d slept, he was still exhausted. His eyes felt gritty and his skin dirty from lying on the floor in the forest. Peeling back the covers, he examined his leg tentatively. The skin was red and inflamed around the stitches, but he was sure that it wouldn’t be too much of a problem with the antibiotics and painkillers that the doctor had prescribed.  

Looking around again only served to make Aoba feel even more peculiar. He had spent very little time in Mink’s room, only poking his head in when he knew that Mink wasn’t out, but he couldn’t find him around the rest of the house. The room was basic, but homely. There were rusty orange and red rugs covering the wooden floor on either side of the double bed, and brightly coloured tapestries adorning the walls. Close to the window, Aoba spotted an altar similar to the one that he had seen in the Scratch den. It was simple, yet beautifully carved, and laden with patchouli incense. The scent was relaxing, but an image that reminded him of the Scratch den was not. Aoba swallowed nervously, remembering his panic in the forest when the memories had been so vivid that he could feel people tugging at his clothes. He buried his face in the blankets, searching for comfort in Mink’s scent, at the same time knowing how little sense this action made. After all, it was Mink who had ordered those hands to touch him.

To an extent, Aoba understood Mink’s reasoning behind his actions at the time. It was clear that achieving his revenge was so important to Mink that he was willing to go to extreme lengths to get Aoba to submit to him. Aoba knew why Mink had thought that it was necessary to do what he did, but his understanding of Mink’s logic didn’t equate with his acceptance. He knew that what Mink had done was wrong, but he had forgiven him for it.

Tae had always taught Aoba that holding grudges took more energy than they were worth, and it was not in Aoba’s nature to be resentful. Holding a grudge against Mink was impossible for Aoba, because Aoba believed in second chances, and he _knew_ that Mink deserved one. He had seen how, after defeating Toue, Mink had ensured that Aoba and his own gang members had escaped the building safely, indicating that although Mink had previously treated them like tools, this did not extend beyond achieving his purpose. Furthermore, Aoba knew that Mink must have loved his family and village deeply to be so intent on avenging them, even if this did result in more bloodshed.

Mink was capable of love, and Aoba wanted to see that side of him. He’d given up everything to see that side of him, because he wanted to believe that Mink was a better person than what Aoba had seen and experienced in the past.

Aoba smiled lightly when he recalled how he had seen Mink’s caring side last night, when he’d wiped away Aoba’s tears and brought him back to the cabin safely. Still, Aoba wanted to see Mink’s _affectionate_ side. In the past few months that they had been together, Aoba had developed strong feelings for Mink, and although Mink had initially professed that he wanted Aoba to leave, Aoba had noticed the little ways that Mink went out of his way to protect and please Aoba. Heck, he’d even bought him chocolate for Valentine’s Day – a festival that Mink didn’t care about at all. In some ways, Aoba knew that their relationship was deeply complicated by their history. He was effectively living with a man who had done terrible things to him, but this had of course been further complicated by Sly Blue.

Aoba wasn’t sure how Mink felt about Sly, but he found it easier to live now that he no longer had to battle against him. Aoba assumed that this was because Sly wanted to be with Mink too, but he also knew that Sly was a serious masochist, and perhaps it was because a small part of him thought that Mink would hurt him again.

The thoughts kept going round and round in Aoba’s head, and he knew that he needed to talk to Mink about them before he exploded. The house was eerily quiet, and he began to wonder if he was alone and Mink had left him for good after what had happened yesterday. He pulled himself to the edge of the bed hastily and managed to stand up, despite the fact that his head was spinning and it hurt to put pressure on his leg. It was impossible to walk without a limp, but he made it to the door and was just about to open it when Mink opened it first.

Mink’s expression betrayed his surprise that Aoba was awake and out of bed, but it quickly morphed into one of remonstrance.

“What are you doing? You should be resting your leg.”

Aoba flushed slightly, embarrassed at the fact that he had already disregarded the doctor’s orders.

“I was coming to find you.” He answered quietly, hobbling back to the bed and avoiding all eye contact with Mink.

Mink sighed. “I’m not going anywhere, Aoba.”

Aoba continued staring at his feet, before mumbling sadly “but you want me to.”

Mink swallowed awkwardly, feeling the heavy atmosphere of tension between the two of them.

“Not at the moment, I don’t.”

Aoba nodded slowly, not sure what to make of his answer.

“I can go and rest in the guest room – I mean, if you want some space to rest in here. You must be tired, after last night.”

“It’s your room now, not the guest room,” Mink corrected wearily “and I’m fine.”

“Hmm. I just thought that you might want me out of the way…you always did want me to leave… I don’t know why it would be any different now.”

 “You’re in here because it’s the largest room, and therefore it was the most convenient place for me to keep an eye on you. Besides, it doesn’t really matter what room we’re in, I would have been with you whichever one.”

Mink took a deep breath before continuing. Although he was naturally a composed speaker, this conversation was a difficult one to have. He didn’t want to upset Aoba, but, at the same time, he knew that avoiding the truth was not beneficial to either of them. After all, it was his avoidance of Aoba and lack of communication that had spurred Aoba to go looking for him in the first place.

“I don’t necessarily _want_ you to leave, but there’s a difference between knowing whatI want and what’s for the best.”

“What _do_ you want then?” Aoba looked up at Mink determinedly. “You don’t talk to me properly, you never touch me, but I’ve seen the way that you look at me.”

“I want you to stay, but this is my point – I don’t think that it’s for the best. I don’t touch you because I’m not entitled to touch you, but I can’t help the fact that I am attracted to you, or that I want what’s best for you.”

“Were you attracted to me before?”

“I thought that you were attractive, but I didn’t see you in that way when I hurt you.”

Aoba laughed emptily. “It’s strange, you know, sometimes in my head I see how you were when we were in Glitter, but then I see your face now and everything about you is different.  I want to believe that this second version is really you, but sometimes I’m still afraid that you’ll hurt me. I want to believe that you wouldn’t, but I can’t believe it totally until you _tell me_ that you won’t.”

Mink looked directly into Aoba’s eyes. They were clear and bright, but tell-tale signs of his tiredness were etched underneath, lilac-grey shading heavy lines.

“I won’t hurt you again.”

Aoba looked at Mink, longing to see the truth in his words.

“I _can’t_ hurt you again, and I can’t say I’m sorry for what I did, because sorry would mean that my actions can be excused. So I’m not going to apologize, but I will live with the burden of what I did, and I will do everything that I can to ensure your happiness – and that is the best sorry that I can give.”

Aoba nodded in understanding, still finding it difficult to make eye contact with Mink.  “I know that you care about me, Mink, but I’m not sure how far that goes, and if you really love me, I want you to show me that you do.”

“How?” Mink’s voice was gentle and not in the least confrontational, but Aoba still felt his face lighting with embarrassment as he stumbled over his words.

 “I…I want you to have sex with me!”

 “Sex?” Mink stared at Aoba in astonishment, unsure of how to reply. “Are you sure that you want that?”

Aoba nodded, meeting Mink’s gaze seriously. “I was upset in the forest – I thought that what was happened in the Scratch den was happening there. If we’re going to continue living together, I want you to prove to me that you’re different now, and that you’d never treat me like that again. I want you to _show me_ that you love me.”

Mink nodded, feeling incredibly awkward. There was a very long pause before he consented, his voice indicating an uncertainty that he hadn’t previously displayed.

 “Well, if that’s what you really want.”

“I do. I want it now.”

Mink shook his head, frustrated “I think we should wait until you’ve healed. I don’t think that you should put any excess strain on your body.”

Aoba grimaced. He was sick of this. He was sick of feeling so hopeless, of Mink rejecting him, of feeling isolated and wishing that somebody could save him. He felt his eyes well up with tears, glittering dangerously as he moved forwards on the bed, leaning his body as close as he could to Mink’s with the huge distance that was dividing them.

“I know, but I just think we should do this now, Mink. I honestly feel fine.”

There was a long pause before Mink moved to sit next to Aoba on the bed. Still he kept his distance, but it wasn’t long before he felt Aoba’s hand on his knee, and the other searching for his own hand. Aoba squeezed it gently before sliding his hand on Mink’s knee up to the hem of his shirt.

“I want us to move past what’s happened.”

Mink nodded, and Aoba leant in to kiss him gently. There were so many emotions flying around the room - desperation, regret, sadness, hope - that clinging onto the kiss seemed to be the most logical action. They undressed slowly, cautiously, and there was a tangible difference as they examined one another’s bodies in a new light. There was none of the carnality of the past when it had been Sly in Aoba’s position. Instead, the movements were slow and full of veneration as Aoba skimmed his hands over Mink’s body, and Mink moved his own to reciprocate the action. Mink allowed Aoba to take the lead, all along feeling somewhat distant from the situation. Aoba was still sick, and he wasn’t sure with this as it was. He most certainly didn’t want to be conceived as taking advantage of the situation.

“Aoba.”

“Yes?”

“I…” Mink felt Aoba pause in unbuckling unzipping his jeans, looking at his curiously.

“I want to make sure that you want to do this.”

“I’ve said yes already, what more do you want?” Aoba laughed, continuing to unzip Mink’s jeans as if to confirm his desperate want. He stopped when he’d undone the zip, instead focusing his attention on Mink’s abdomen. He traced his hands up and down lightly, skirting around Mink’s cock as though to tease him.  
“Why do you keep asking?”

“I just want to make sure that you really do want to do this. I don’t want to force you into anything that you don’t want to do anymore.”

“Mink, I suggested this. I’m alright. I want to do this. I want to be close to you.”

Another uncomfortable pause as Aoba continued to run his hands over Mink’s abdomen.

“Do you want to?”

Yes. Yes, he did want to. He ached to be inside Aoba, to feel the connection with him that he had been denying for months. He wanted to see Aoba happy, to be gentle enough to show that he was not a monster, that Toue hadn’t produced an irreversible change in him. That he hadn’t lost the plot, that he wasn’t the man that he had previously shown to Aoba. He wanted all of these things back, but at the same time, he knew that you couldn’t always have what you wanted, and dreaming of it was sometimes more hurtful. He wanted his sister back. He wanted his family back. He wanted to go fishing among the Pine and Cedar trees so that he could cook a nice meal for the village barbecue. He couldn’t have these things back. And he knew it. But there were things that he could try to get back, and Aoba was one of them.  

“Yes, I do.”

“I want us to start anew.”

He wanted to say ‘me to’, to say ‘I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry’, but it wouldn’t have been right. There was a long way to go, but Mink had hope that they would find their way there eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back for the last chapter! I don't really have any legitimate excuses for it taking so long, other than having a lot of uni stuff going on (which has finished now, yay) and my interests moving more towards the Durarara!! fandom (my latest fic is called 'The Greatest Distance' for anyone into mental health-y stuff). Anyway, I'm sorry if I have disappointed people who were expecting a full sex scene. Part of the reason that it's taken me so long is because I didn't know how to end this. I know that in the canon route there are no problems with Aoba and Mink's sexual relationship. However, the more I thought about it the more I wanted to *try* and portray the complexity of the relationship. Aoba is such a forgiving soul, and his character drove me to think in more realistic terms. I don't know the stats, but I know that there are plenty of people who stay with partners who have acted in a sexually abusive manner in the past. I have deliberately left the ending ambiguous, so it is up to the reader whether Mink and Aoba have sex or if they feel that they need to become closer first. Part of the reason that I like this route is because it makes me think. It provokes feelings of discomfort because of what Mink has done in the past, and raises questions as to whether or not the relationship is right. Personally, I don't know how healthy a relationship could be with what has happened between Mink and Aoba in the past, even with the complication of Sly. However, I believe that in this route, Mink keeps his distance because he wants Aoba to find his own way. He knows that Aoba has a good family and good friendships, so to him it doesn't make sense that Aoba would leave all of that behind to come to him when he was treated Aoba badly in the past. I really do think that Mink wants the best for Aoba, despite his previous actions, and although Mink's actions come across to the viewer as callous, I think that mink was trying to get Aoba to leave because he believed that the hurt he caused then was a small sacrifice compared to the hurt that Aoba would experience if he stayed. I guess I just wanted to show that, and I hope that I've succeeded. Anyway, as usual, thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks to everyone who has stuck by this story. I don't think that it's my best, but as my first fanfiction I hope that it is enough x


End file.
